Respect ban on corporal punishment – GES warns teachers

GES has warned that any teacher who inflicts corporal punishment on students would be dealt with

The Ghana Education Service [GES], has warned that teachers in both private and public schools who inflict Corporal punishment on students would be appropriately dealt with per the guidelines of the service.

In a statement signed by the Director-General of Ghana Education Service, Jacob A. M. Kor, he said, “it has come to their notice that the ban on corporal punishment is not being enforced in schools.”

“We wish to indicate that Corporal punishment in our institutions is illegal and would not be tolerated in any form”

The Service explained that “The directive is in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the right of the child (CRC), which was corrected in Ghana in 1990, and the Children’s Act of 1998 m(Act 560).

“We strongly advise that teachers, Educational Workers and staff of Public and Private would continue to exhibit the best professional conduct throughout the entire process of educational service delivery to pupils and students, without having to resort to the use of corporal punishment”.

According to the GES, it was becoming public knowledge that teachers continued to apply the cane even though the GES had banned the practice.

Concerns are that, there have been instances where in the course of administering corporal punishment, the teachers ended up deforming the pupils.

The Service is of the firm belief that there are different ways by which pupils or students could be punished, citing for instance, giving students assignments to do while their mates are playing during break time among others.